NDLEA arrests Thai woman smuggling 46.6kg of Canadian Loud into Nigeria and foils multiple drug trafficking attempts nationwide
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 24-year-old Thai woman, Ms Pattaphi Wimonnat, for attempting to smuggle 43 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
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The illegal consignment, weighing 46.60 kilograms, was seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Wimonnat was apprehended on February 20 during passenger clearance on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha, Qatar.
According to the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the illicit drugs were discovered hidden in her luggage at the arrival hall of Terminal 2.
Following her arrest, the suspect confessed that she was hired by a drug cartel and promised $3,000 for the successful delivery of the drugs in Nigeria.
In a separate operation on February 21, NDLEA operatives intercepted an attempt to ship 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud, weighing 42.2kg, to London, UK.
The drugs were cleverly concealed within the walls of crated cartons at the Lagos airport’s export shed.
Three suspects — a freight agent and two dispatch riders — were initially detained, leading to the arrest of the operation’s mastermind, Samuel Bitris, at his residence in Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos.
NDLEA officers also made significant seizures at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, on February 20.
A joint inspection with Customs and other security agencies uncovered 49,000 pills of Tamil, a tramadol 225mg brand, packed in 49 cartons inside a 40ft container.
Meanwhile, in Nasarawa State, operatives arrested two suspects — Bello Adamu, 40, and Pius Azuka, 42 — on February 22 for transporting 517kg of skunk.
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Similarly, on February 20, Usman Ruwa, 43, and Yunusa Haruna, 45, were caught in Niger State with 62.7kg of skunk concealed in a Toyota Corolla.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
